Flexible Reusable Smoker&#39;s Tool

ABSTRACT

One Embodiment of an improved smoker&#39;s tool which is flexible, resilient yet minimally rigid for providing a tool for many types of complex smoking and vaporizing devices, which better removes spent organic matter, which can be cleaned and reused, shaped and reshaped, as well as providing a handle ( 17 ), and possible embodiments of a reamer ( 20 ), tamper ( 30 ) and scraping blade ( 18 ) as well as other useful implements. The flexible reusable smoker&#39;s tool generally includes single or multiple flat strips ( 11 ) twisted with strands ( 10 ) for part of their length. The twisted edge of the flat strip forms a spiral creating two continuous scraping edges ( 15 ) as well as a channel ( 41 ) formed in the junction between the flat strip ( 11 ) and strand ( 10 ) for the entire twisted length, used for better removal of spent organic matter from smoking and vaporizing devices. The untwisted strand at the top, possibly being shaped into a reamer ( 20 ) for clearing blockages in the bowl, stem and carburetor of smoking and vaporizing devices. The untwisted flat strip ( 11 ) is possibly coiled to form a flat tamper ( 30 ) for the bowl of a smoking or vaporizing device, with another option of a scraping blade ( 18 ) formed from the flat strip at the bottom of the cleaner ( 14 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/942,158, filed Feb. 20, 2014 by the present inventors.

BACKGROUND Prior Art

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:

Patent Number U.S. Issue Date Patentee 400,966 1889 Apr. 9 Strachan 3,856,024SA 1974 Dec. 24 Lamberiti 1,499,541A 1924 Jul. 1 McCarthy 966,100 1910 Aug. 2 Johnson 865,547 1907 Sep. 10 Walker

A number of smoker's tools on the market today were designed for tobacco pipes only. No one foresaw that the market would require a new tool for the complex smoking and vaporizing devices of today. These smoking and vaporizing devices are made of materials as divergent as durable titanium to fragile glass and ceramics, often together, many with convoluted shapes, openings, tubing, and bowls. The smoker's tools on the market do not work well on these complex devices.

One common type of smoker's tool is a rigid poker to ream the stem of a pipe or bowl to remove blockages allowing for the passage of air. This type is too rigid for the fragile glass and ceramic smoking and vaporizing devices used today, does not remove spent matter efficiently and often leave the users fingers soiled with residue from the smoking device. U.S. Pat. No. 400,966 to Strachan (1888) discloses a single rigid twisted wire in a protective sleeve, which does ream a tobacco pipe stem, however would possibly break or damage fragile devices. This tool also has no handle to prevent soiled fingers during the pipe cleaning process and removes little debris. U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,024SA to Lamberiti (1973) discloses a newer version of a twisted wire pipe cleaner, while it might remove some spent material, again is too rigid, would possibly damage complex and fragile smoking and vaporizing devices and has no handle to protect user's fingers from residue.

Other smoker's tools are designed to be more flexible but still rigid. This type are often not flexible enough for the complex shaped smoking and vaporizing devices of today, do not efficiently remove spent organic matter, leaving many areas soiled or with broken or damaged fragile parts. U.S. Pat. No. 1,499,541A to McCarthy (1923) discloses a twisted flat wire smoker's cleaning tool which is flexible. Its smooth twisted flat surface would remove some spent matter but not efficiently, as well as being too bulky to clean deeply in the fragile devices of today. This tool also has no handle to keep users fingers free of residue.

Common brush type tools were designed to clean items with small openings such as the barrel of guns or plumbing pipes. The brushes were adapted for cleaning the stem of smoker's pipes and other objects. Some of these brushes are flexible and others more rigid. All remove some organic matter residue; however, it is difficult to then clean residue from the brush, rendering the brush of single use. The most flexible brushes do not hold any shape at all, making them inefficient at cleaning. The more rigid type do remove some spent matter, though often the spent matter is pushed further into the device making it inefficient at removing the spent matter. U.S. Pat. No. 966,100 to Johnson (1908) discloses a firearm barrel cleaner consisting of a twisted wire with various brush materials folded in to form a brush for part of the length. Versions of this brush are used for pipe cleaners. The brush is inefficient in removing quantities of spent organic matter as well as becomes easily soiled by the tars and other residues left behind in the smoking devices, and not cleanable, will be discarded.

Another type of smoker's tool is one that is a combination tool offering more than one function, often a cleaner for the stem and tamper for the organic matter in the bowl. Though convenient, these tools are rigid with no handle, thus can break fragile devices and leave users hands soiled. U.S. Pat. No. 865,547 to Walker (1905) discloses a smoker's combination tool containing as poker for clogs of the pipe as well as a tamper for the bowl and a spoon for transferring tobacco to the pipe bowl. This tool is very rigid, thus would cause damage or breakage of fragile devices, as well as leaves users hands soiled from lack of a handle.

This application describes a smoker's tool which is, designed to be flexible yet minimally rigid and resilient, to remove spent organic matter efficiently, to be cleanable, thus, reusable and shapeable to function with many types of complex smoking and vaporizing devices without damage or breakage, while providing a handle for keeping the users hands from becoming soiled.

Never the less, all the previous smoker's tools suffer from a number of disadvantages.

-   -   a. They are constructed to be rigid thus possibly breaking,         cracking or damaging complex smoking and vaporizing devices on         the market today.     -   b. Though they may be flexible, they often do not remove spent         organic matter efficiently or push the matter further in device.     -   c. Though flexible, brush type smoker's tools are difficult to         clean for reuse, thus making them a single use item and         wasteful.     -   d. Previous tools did not have handles to keep user's hand from         being soiled by removed residue.

Advantages

Accordingly, several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows : to provide a flexible reusable smoker's tool which is a flexible yet minimally rigid and resilient, for many types of complex smoking and vaporizing devices which better removes spent organic matter, which is shapeable, which can be cleaned and reused, as well as providing a reamer, tamper, handle as possible embodiments. Other advantages of the present presentation will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these advantages are within the scope of the present embodiment. The drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of this application.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present embodiment will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 presents a full view of one embodiment of the smoker's tool and illustrates various aspects of the features.

FIG. 1 a. is a view of an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an expanded view of the tamper embodiment of the smoker's tool.

FIG. 3 is an expanded view of one embodiment of the pipe cleaner.

FIG. 4 presents a full view of one embodiment of the smoker's tool with various additional embodiments.

FIGS. 5 thru 7 show a cross-section of a glass pipe and the operation of various possible embodiments.

Drawings -Reference Numerals 10 Pipe Cleaner 11: Flat Strip 12 Strand 13 Top of Cleaner and smoker's tool 14 End of Cleaner 15 Continuous Cleaning Edge 16 Spot tack (optional) 17 Handle 17a Beads (optional) 18 Scraping Blade (optional) 20 Reamer 21 End of Reamer 30 Tamper 31 End of Flat Strip 32 Coiled Tamper Face 33 Tamper Vent Hole 40 Expanded view of Channel 41 Channel 50 Cross Section of Glass Smoking Pipe 51 Spent Organic Matter 52 Fresh Organic Matter

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present embodiment will become fully appreciated, as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1,1 a, 2,3,4

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment and at least one alternative embodiment of the smoker's tool. FIG. 1 illustrates the tool without the handle element 17, to better understand the structure of the tool. The tool comprises of a length of flat strip 11 and an equal length of a round strand 12. The strip 11 and strand 12 are twisted contiguously for part of their lengths forming the pipe cleaner element 10. Cleaner 10 terminates at the end 14 of the twisted portion of the strip 11 and the strand 12.

The twisting of the two elements creates two continuous scraping edges 15 for better removing of spent organic matter 51 (FIG. 7.) from the sides of pipes 50 and other devices. Also formed is a continuous channel 41 (FIG 3.) which snags spent residue 51 to remove in a more efficient manner. The pipe cleaner 10 is flexible, resilient and minimally rigid allowing for shaping and reshaping in order to function with many different complex smoking devices (FIG. 7.) Materials will be cleanable for reuse thus economical and environmentally sound. We contemplate the materials of this embodiment being copper, but other materials are also suitable.

Twisting may be accomplished by hand, utilizing a vice to hold an end of the materials while twisting the opposite end of said materials. An alternative method is using a hand held drill to perform the twisting action. Other more mechanized methods are available such as wire brush manufacturing machines, which can be adapted to work with the materials in this embodiment. Twisting contiguously the strip 11 and the strand 12, holds the two components together by tension. An alternative embodiment being that the two components are joined 16 at the end 14 of the cleaner. In the contemplated embodiment, the copper strip and copper strand are joined by a tack weld.

FIG. 1 illustrates that at the upper end of the twisted cleaner 10, the flat strip 11 and the strand 12 diverge. This divergence point is the top of the tool 13 as well as the top of the cleaner element 10. Illustrated in this embodiment it is contemplated that the untwisted strand 12 at the top 13 diverges from cleaner 10 at 90 degrees, opposite from the tamper 30. The strand forms a possible embodiment of a reamer 20, which functions to clear blockages in the bowl, stem, carburetor and other areas of various types of smoking and vaporizing devices 50 (FIG. 5.) FIG. 1 illustrates the flat strip 11 also diverges at 90 degrees from the cleaner 10 opposite from the reamer 20. The strip 11 is curled in upon itself, then bent parallel to the cleaner 10, to form a possible embodiment, the tamper 30 which has a center vent hole 31 (FIG. 2) to allow air flow to the organic smoking matter 52. Tamper 30 function is to compact fresh organic matter 52 to prepare to smoke or vaporize (FIG. 6.) and to allow airflow to organic smoking material 52. The reamer 20 and tamper 30 are easily formed with hand tools.

FIG. 1 a illustrates an alternative element of one embodiment. Illustrated is a contemplated alternative end 14 embodiment, a scraping blade 18 shown formed by cutting the strip 11 at end 14 into the shape of an arc. This blade is useful to scrape residue from bowl and other areas of smoking devices. Other useful tools are possible as well, such as a spoon, thus this description should not limit this embodiment.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show expanded views of different elements. FIG. 2 is an expanded view of the tamper element 30 and its coiled tamper face 32 of this contemplated embodiment. Illustrated is the flat strip 11 curled in upon itself from its end 31 whereupon forming a hole 33 at the center of the coil. Said hole 33 allows for airflow to the organic matter 52 in the device 50 (FIG. 6.) The coil forms the flat face of the tamper 32. The coiled portion 32 of the flat strip 11 is turned parallel to the cleaner 10. Tamper 30 element is one possible embodiment that can be formed from the flat strip 11 and in no way limits the scope of this tool. FIG. 3 is an expanded view 40 of the channel 41 created at the junction of the flat 11 and strand 12. Channel 41 is an improvement at removing spent organic matter. Channel 41 may be formed using different shapes, materials, gauges, hardness, and surface treatments and this description should not limit the scope in anyway. More channels may be formed using multiples of the materials.

FIG. 4 illustrates a full view of the smoker's tool with the contemplated embodiment of a handle 17 comprised of glass beads 17 a contiguously attached to the cleaner 10 with glue, strand or other forms of attachment. The handle allows the users hands to remain free of residue during cleaning of smoking devices. The handle 17 can be made of, but not limited to, glass beads 17 a, bolts, tubing, wood, seeds and other decorative or functional materials.

Operation—FIGS. 5,6,7

FIGS. 5,6, and 7 illustrates the operation of the implements in this presented embodiment in a common, complex, glass smoking pipe 50. FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of the possible embodiment of a reamer 20, when used in the bowl of a smoking device. The user grasps the handle 17 and pushes the reamer end 21 into blockages (FIG. 5.) thus allowing airflow and further cleaning.

FIG. 6 illustrates the operation of the possible embodiment of a tamper 30, when used in the bowl of a smoking device. The user grasps handle 17 and places the coiled surface 32 onto organic matter 51 to assist in compacting, lighting and smoking (FIG. 6.) loose smoking matter.

FIG. 7 illustrates operation of the contemplated cleaner element 10 reaching deeply into a common, complex, glass, smoking pipe 50. User pushes the end 14 into soiled device 50, rotates cleaner and removes cleaner from soiled device. Cleaner 10 can be shaped and reshaped to reach difficult areas. Residue is then removed from cleaner 10, and cleaner 10 is reinserted for additional cleaning of soiled smoking device 50.

Residue removal from all embodiment elements is dependent upon materials used. Some residue removal methods include heating element lightly and wiping with cloth or tissue, by using a chemical cleaner, or by scraping residue from surface into ash receptacle as well as by other methods

The contemplated embodiment should not be limited by the suggested operations. Tamper 30 can assist in rolling cigarettes. Reamer 20 can be used as a poker as well as a cleaner, and works on many electronic vaporizing tools in a variety of ways. These are intended as examples of other uses and not limiting.

SUMMARY

Thus the reader will see that at least one embodiment of the smoker's tool provides a flexible, resilient yet minimally rigid tool which can be shaped and reshaped to remove spent organic matter more efficiently with the improvement of the continuous channel and edges. Tool is cleanable, thus, reusable and works with the many types of complex smoking and vaporizing devices on the market today without damage or breakage, while providing a handle for keeping the users hands from becoming soiled.

While the above description contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope but rather as an exemplification of one embodiment. Many other variations are possible.

Other variations could include travel versions of the smoker's tool, perhaps with protective case, longer versions for long smoking devices as well as larger versions for plumbing pipes with clogs. Tool could be adapted to serve many industries outside the smoker's tool market.

Different materials including but not limited to metal, different metals, metal gauges and hardness, sizes, shapes, textures and lengths of all elements may be used. In an alternative embodiment elements alone or in total can be coated or plated with various substances as example, but not limited to silicone or silver and also may have various surface textures or treatments. All elements may be multiplied, such as two strips of flat strip 11 twisted with two or more strands 12. Handle 17 may be made of, but not limited to, decorative or useful elements such as beads, nuts, tubing and washers. Handle 17 could also be one piece of hand-blown glass. Additional smoking and vaporizing accessories and tools may be added or substituted to the above embodiment including spoons, knifes, and others. 

We claim:
 1. A flexible reusable smoker's tool comprising of components of flexible, yet minimally rigid, and resilient materials twisted contiguously for a portion of a predetermined length to form a cleaner element with an end and top and other implements as possible elements.
 2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the flexible, yet minimally rigid, and resilient materials are cleanable materials.
 3. The tool of claim 1 wherein the components of flexible, yet minimally rigid, and resilient materials being in the form of single or multiple flat strips and strands twisted contiguously for a portion of the predetermined length.
 4. The tool of claim 1 wherein said components are twisted contiguously for a portion of the predetermined length with the flat strip forming a double spiral for the twisted length.
 5. The tool of claim 1 wherein the components are twisted contiguously for a portion of the predetermined length with a junction of the flat strip and the strand forming a channel for the twisted length.
 6. The tool of claim 1 wherein the twisted components form a cleaner element with the end wherein the end may be shaped to form useful implements.
 7. The tool of claim 1 wherein the components have an untwisted portion originating at top of cleaner.
 8. The tool of claim 7 wherein the untwisted materials originating at top of cleaner are diverged to form alternative implements.
 9. The tool of claim 1 further including a handle, attached contiguously by means, to the top portion of the cleaner element.
 10. The tool of claim 9 wherein the handle is made of various useful or decorative materials. Whereby said smoker's tool of flexible, yet minimally rigid, and resilient materials can be shaped and reshaped, cleaned and reused, while the channel removes spent matter more efficiently, and handle prevents soiling of user's hands, as well as provide other useful implements. 